Skin Anatomy

Human skin is the largest organ in the body and its role is to protect our body and it holds all of our internal structures together. The skin also helps to regulate our body temperature and provides us with the sense of touch.

To enhance your understanding of skin structure and its vital functions, explore our range of anatomical charts and educational posters. These detailed, full-colour illustrations break down the skin’s layers, glands, and vascular systems, making them ideal for students, lecturers, and professionals alike. Whether used in classrooms or clinics, these posters help simplify complex information for effective revision and teaching.

The skin consists of three major layers, the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous layer.

The epidermis is the top layer which is protective and is able to regenerate fast. It contains pigment cells, keratin, it can make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight and also produces sweat which helps to regulate body temperature and dispose of unwanted chemicals in the body. The epidermis makes new skin cells and old skin cells flake off. The epidermis contains a substance called melanin which protects our skin from ultraviolet rays from the sun.

The dermis lies beneath the epidermis and contains most of the skin receptors, capillaries, hair follicles, oil glands and nerve endings. This part of the skin is made from collagen which is a protein that provides structure to our skin. The dermis contains lots of blood vessels which help to keep the skin alive and healthy.

The last layer of the skin is the subcutaneous layer, which helps with insulation, storing energy and absorbing shock. This contains subcutaneous fat, larger blood vessels and connective tissue, which helps to attach the skin to the tendons and muscles below.

To enhance your understanding of skin structure and its vital functions, explore our range of anatomical charts and educational posters. These detailed, full-colour illustrations break down the skin’s layers, glands, and vascular systems, making them ideal for students, lecturers, and professionals alike. Whether used in classrooms or clinics, these posters help simplify complex information for effective revision and teaching.

Our skin contains sebaceous glands (oil glands) and sweat glands which are contained in the dermis. Sebaceous glands produce a substance called sebum which keeps our skin lubricated, waterproof and provides protection. Sweat glands are also contained in the dermis and is important to control the body’s temperature.

The skin helps to control body temperature with the help of sweat glands. There are other structures involved in temperature control such as blood vessels and nerves. The hypothalamus is a part of the brain which send signals to structures of the body to maintain a normal body temperature.

When the body is overheated and need to cool down the sweat glands release sweat which evaporates causing the skin to cool down. Another process of cooling the body down is through vasodilation where the blood vessels become wider to increase blood flow to the surface of our skin and releases heat through heat radiation.

When the body is too cold and need to warm up a process called vasoconstriction takes place. This is where the blood vessels become narrower and heat is retained inside the body. Thermogenesis is when the body produces heat is different ways. An example of this is when our muscles shiver which produces heat.

The network of receptors and nerves which help to form the sense of touch is known as the somatosensory system. This is the part of the sensory system concerned with the conscious perception of touch, pressure, pain, temperature, position, movement, and vibration which arise from the muscles, joints, skin, and fascia.

When touch occurs, a response is triggered to a stimulus of a receptor, carrying an electrical discharge to the nerve endings. The impulse travels up the spinal cord to the brain and sensation is registered at the somatosensory cortex of the brain. The size of the stimulus relates to the number of receptors triggered. 

Mechanoreceptors respond to forces, including push and pull, which indicate problems with joints or the muscles surrounding the joints. The Pacinian corpuscles are sensitive to deep-pressure touch and high-frequency vibrations. The Meissner’s corpuscles detect light touch and are found in places of high sensitivity, such as the fingertips and lips. Merkel’s discs are found in the fingertip ridges and detect pressure and texture.

Thermoreceptors respond to temperature. Receptors that do this include Ruffini’s endings (for heat) and end bulb of Krause (for cold). Interestingly, the skin cannot tell us the exact temperature of something, rather it senses the temperature changing from its current state to something new. Chemoreceptors respond to substances produced by the skin itself. Nociceptors help to detect painful stimuli and can react to cuts or scrapes, burns or chemical stimuli such as an insect sting, responding to threatened or actual damage to the tissue cells. 

Understanding anatomy can be far more effective with high quality visual tools. Our range of anatomical models, posters and revision guides allow students and professionals to deepen their understanding through visual and tactile learning. Whether you're preparing for an exam, teaching a class, or working in a clinical setting, our resources provide a practical and engaging way to study human anatomy.